This invention relates generally to apparatus for preventing used hypodermic needle sticks. More particularly, this invention relates to an adapter for being fastened to a needle sheath to lock a used hypodermic needle in the needle sheath; viewed alternatively, this invention relates to an adapter for being fastened to a needle sheath to entrap a used hypodermic needle between the adapter and the needle sheath. Further, this invention relates to a needle sheath for receiving a used hypodermic needle. Still further, this invention relates to the combination of such adapter and such needle sheath. Further yet, this invention relates to a kit including a syringe barrel, a syringe needle and such adapter and such needle sheath.
Additionally, this invention relates to combination syringe needle and cantilever latching apparatus, such combination in further combination with a needle sheath, and a kit including such combination syringe needle and cantilever latching apparatus, needle sheath and syringe barrel.
After a hypodermic needle has been used to inject a patient, or to draw blood from a patient, and has been withdrawn, the used and exposed hypodermic needle poses a grave risk of infectious disease transmission to the health care provider, doctor, nurse or any other person into whose skin the used hypodermic needle may stick accidentally. This problem is sometimes referred to as needle stick injury or accidental needle stick injury.
Representative prior art apparatus providing a solution to the hypodermic needle stick injury problem is illustrated in FIG. 1 which shows a prior art syringe needle assembly indicated by general numerical designation 10. Assembly 10 includes a syringe barrel 12 in which a plunger 13 is mounted for sliding, reciprocal movement, and a syringe needle indicated by general numerical designation 14 and which syringe needle includes a needle hub 15 and a hypodermic needle or cannula 16 having a pointed or sharp tip 17; the needle hub is provided with external ridges 15A. A protective needle sheath 18 is shown in FIG. 1 for receiving the hypodermic needle 16 after it has been used. The needle sheath 18 is a hollow cylinder closed at the bottom and open at the top. The needle sheath 18 extends upwardly from a pedestal 19 in which the bottom portion of the sheath 18 is typically mounted in a wedged connection. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, the bottom of the needle sheath is typically filled with a suitable gel 20, e.g. silicon, into which the tip 18 of the used hypodermic needle is inserted. Generally it is the gel 20 which retains the used needle 16 in the needle sheath 18. The upper inner portion of the hypodermic needle sheath 18 is provided with a plurality of internal radially disposed ridges 18A for engaging the radially disposed external ridges 15A provided on the lower portion of the needle hub 15.
The syringe barrel 12, FIG. 1, is provided with a male luer lock connector indicated by general numerical designation 22 for leak-proof connection to the needle hub 15. Male luer lock connector 22 is shown in detail and in cross-section in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the male luer lock connector 22 includes a central externally tapered male luer 23 surrounded by an annular collar 24 which is spaced radially outwardly from the male luer 23 and provided with an internal thread 25. The needle hub 15, FIG. 2, provides an internally tapered female luer 26 and includes an upper flange 28 provided with diametrically opposed and radially outwardly extending tabs or tab portions 29 and 29A. For leak-proof connection, FIG. 2, the male luer 23 of the syringe barrel connector 22 is inserted into the female luer 26 provided in the needle hub 15 and the needle hub tabs 29 and 30 are threaded into the internal thread 25 provided in the syringe barrel connector 22. Typically this is done by the health care provider who then produces appropriate relative rotational movement between the syringe barrel 12 and the needle hub 15. This rotational movement threads the female luer tabs 29 and 29A upwardly into the internal thread 25 of the male luer lock connector 22 which forces the male luer 23 and the female luer 26 into a wedged or slight interference fit producing a leak-proof connection. This connection is sometimes referred to in the art as a slip fit connection. After such connection, the syringe needle assembly 10, assembled as shown in FIG. 1, is ready for use to inject a patient with a liquid medication or to withdraw blood from the patient.
After use, the health care provider inserts the used needle 16 and the needle hub 15 into the needle sheath 18 (FIG. 1) engaging the external ridges 15A provided on the needle hub 15 with the internal ridges 18A provided in the needle sheath 18 to prevent relative rotation between the needle hub 15 and the needle sheath 18. The heath care provider then provides appropriate relative rotational movement between the syringe barrel 12 and the needle sheath 18, opposite to the relative rotational movement used to connect the male luer lock connector 22 and the needle hub 15, and the needle hub tabs 29 and 29A (FIG. 2) are unthreaded from the internal thread 25 of the male luer lock connector 22 which forces the male luer connector 23 upwardly out of the female luer 26.
As the used hypodermic needle 16 is inserted into the hypodermic needle sheath 18, the used needle tip 17 is inserted into the gel 20 as shown in the needle sheath 18 as the health care provider places the used needle 16 and needle sheath 18 in a medical waste receptacle. If the used needle 16 comes out of the gel 20 and comes out of the needle sheath 18, the health care provider, or other person, must manually replace the used hypodermic needle 16 in the needle sheath 18 or place them separately in the medical waste receptacle. This places the health care provider and housekeeping personnel at risk of needle stick injury.
Numerous other prior art apparatus are known for preventing accidental needle sticks.
The present invention provides apparatus for locking a used hypodermic needle in a needle sheath; an adapter for locking to a needle sheath to entrap a used hypodermic needle between the adapter and the needle sheath, a needle sheath for receiving a used hypodermic needle, and the combination of such adapter and such needle sheath. A kit including a syringe barrel, a syringe needle and such adapter and such needle sheath. Combination syringe needle and cantilever latching apparatus, such combination in further combination with a needle sheath and a further kit including such combinations and a syringe barrel.